Rack-rail locomotive system.



C. A. PRATT.

RACK BAIL LOGOMOTIVE SYSTEM. y APPLIQATION FILED JAN. 2, 1907. nnnnwnnAUG..19, mov.

Patented Mar. 15,1910.

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C. A. PRATT.

I RACK RAIL LOCOMOTIVE SYSTEM. APPLIGATION HLBD JAN. 2, 1907. nmmwsnAUG. 1a, .1907.

951,842, Patented Mar. 15. 1910.

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CHARLES A. PRATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GOODMANMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RACK-RAIL LOCOMOTIVE SYSTEM.A

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Specification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed January 2, 1907, Serial No. 350,514. Renewed August19, 1907. Serial No. 389,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Aj PRATT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rack-Rail LocomotiveSystems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a rack rail loco motive system, and has forits object to provide a new and improved system of this description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein the invention isillustrated, Figure l is a plan view with parts omitted showing anapparatus embodying this invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view withparts omitted showing one form of sprocket wheel controlling apparatus;F ig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is aview of one form of sprocket wheel engaging device.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

In the operation of rack rail locomotives an ordinary standard rack railis used, and one or more rack rail locomotives are run along the track,the sprocket wheels on the locomotives engaging the rack. rlhe pressurethat can be put upon this rack is of course limited by the tensilestrength of the rack, and the strength of the means for holding it tothe road bed, and if several locomotives are hitched together andconnected by their sprocket wheels to the same rack the force exertedupon the rack is too great and either results in the breaking of therack or its displacement from its moorings. This strain upon the rack isof course greater when the grade is heavy.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown in Fig. l a series oflocomotives A, B, C, D. These locomotives may be of any desireddescription, and are provided with sprocket wheels A1, B1, C1 and D1.The locomotives run upon any ordinary track, and there are provided aplurality of rack rails. In the drawings there are shown two such rackrails E and F. These rack rails may be of the ordinary standardconstruction provided with teeth separated by spaces so as to be engagedby the sprocket wheels on the locomotives. The sprocket wheels on someof the locomotives engage the rack rail E and the sprocket wheels onothers engage the rack rail F. The arrangement of these sprocket wheelswill depend upon the conditions presented. For example the firstlocomotive may have its sprocket wheels engaging one rack rail, and thenext the other rack rail, the third the first rack rail, etc. Or thesprocket wheels of the first few locomotives may engage one rack rail,and the sprocket wheels of the remaining locomotives the other rackrail. In other words any desired distribution of the locomotives betweenthis plurality of rails may be provided, it being always a provisionthat the distribution is such as to prevent too great a strain upon therail.

The entire length of track may be provided with the plurality of rackrails, or they may only be used at the heavy grades, such rack railsuniting or combining into a single rack G. It is of course evident thatany desired number of rack rails can be used. In view, however, of thefact that on curves the outer rack rail would be longer than the inner,this plurality of rack rails could not be practically used on a singlelocomotive by simply enlarging the locomotive, and it is thereforenecessary to split the motive power up into several units, as hereinsuggested, in which event this difliculty is obviated. The sprocketwheels on the locomotive are preferably arranged so as to be movablelaterally in order that they may be shifted from one rack rail to theother, or be brought in position so as to engage with the single rackrail when the plurality of rack rails unite. As the sprocket wheels aresimply loose upon the aXle or shaft upon which they are mounted, thisresult can be secured. It is however desirable to provide some positivemeans of shifting the sprocket wheels. Any desired arrangement for thispurpose can be used. I have illustrated one form of this device in Figs.2, 3 and 4. Associated with the sprocket wheel is asprocket-wheel-engaging device provided with two elastically held armsH, preferably provided with removable shoes H1 which engage the face ofthe sprocket wheel. The arms II are movably connected to a sup port H2.The arms H are elastically held in contact with the sprocket wheel inany desired manner, as, for example, by means of spring H3. Said armsare provided with limiting devices H4 which limit the move- :ment in onedirection, and H5 which limit ythe movement in the other direction. The.function of the elastic contact with the sprocket wheel is to permit itto move laterally to compensate for inequalities in the rack rail. Thesprocket-wheel-engaging device is movably mounted on the frame in anydesired manner. As herein shown the base H2 is connected to a movableholding part I which works in a groove or guide I1 in the frame; theholding part I, as shown for example in Fig. 2, is beveled and engagesbeveled faces on the frame. A removable piece I2 is provided in theframe by means of which it can be placed in position, and will be heldin position when the removable piece I2 is in place. Some means isprovided for moving the holding part I so as to move the sprocket wheelfrom one rack rail to the other. As herein shown, a rod J is connectedwith said holding part I, and with an arm or crank J1 on a shaft J2.This shaft is provided with another arm or crank J3 which is connectedto a piston in the cylinder J4. This cylinder is arranged so that someactuating fluid as air or the like can be used to move the piston, andthus move the sprocket-wheel-engaging device. By means of these aircylinders a series of the sprocket wheels can be moved at one time. Thesprocket wheels are driven by the gears K and L, the gear L beingconnected with the sprocket wheels so as to move therewith, and the gearK with the motor. One of these gears is preferably provided with a wideengaging face so that the other gear may be in engagement therewithduring all the various positions of the sprocket wheel.

When it is desired to change from a plurality of rack rails to one rackrail, for example, and vice versa, the change is preferably made by afrog G1. This frog is arranged with a series of teeth G2 which graduallyincrease in length from the single rack rail toward the plurality ofrack rails for a portion of the length of the frog, the remainingportion being provided with several series of teeth G3 which graduallyspread so as to be in line with the teeth on the different rack railswith which it connects. By this means the sprocket wheels on thelocomotives may be changed from the plurality of racks to a sing'lerack, and from the single rack to any one of the plurality of racks. Itwill further be seen that there is provided means for bringing thevarious sprocket wheels into engagement with a single rack rail atpoints where a single rack rail can properly be used and for dividingsaid sprocket wheels between the several rack rails when it is desiredto distribute the power between them. This construction is verydesirable under conditions where, for example, the grade varies insteepness to a considerable extent. Under such conditions it isdesirable to have a plurality of rack rails at one or more points and asingle rack rail at one or more other points in the system. The powerdevice is adapted to engage both the single and the plural rack rails asit travels along the track. As herein shown, the power devices areprovided with movable sprockets and guiding mechanism for the sprocketscomprising a resilient member and a centralizing device consisting of astop or stops for such resilient member.

I claim:

1. A rack rail locomotive system comprising a plurality of rack rails, apower device having a series of sprocket wheels adapted to engage saidrack rails, and means for distributing said sprocket wheels between saidrack rails so that the load is divided between them.

Q. A rack rail locomotive system comprising a plurality of rack rails, apower device having a series of sprocketwheels adapted to engage saidrack rails, and means for distributing said sprocket wheels between saidrack rails so that the load is divided between them, said sprocketwheels adapted to be moved from one rack rail to the other.

3. A rack rail locomotive system comprising a plurality of rack rails, aseries of separate power units each provided with a sprocket wheel, someof said sprocket wheels engaging one rack rail, and some another.

at. A rack rail locomotive system comprising a plurality of rack rails,a plurality of power units each provided with a sprocket wheel adaptedtok engage said rack rails, said sprocket wheels distributed betweensaid `ack rails, an engaging device for engaging each of said sprocketwheels, and means for moving said engaging device so as to move thesprocket wheels to bring them into engagement with any one of said rackrails.

5. A rack rail locomotive system comprising a series of rack rails, apower device, a series of sprocket wheels associated with said powerdevice by means of which connection is made to said rack rails, a shaftfor each of said sprocket wheels, sprocket wheels mounted on said shaftso as to be free to move longitudinally therealong, and means for movingsaid sprocket wheels so as to bring them into position to engage eitherof said rack rails.

6. The combination with a sprocket wheel of an engaging device thereforcomprising two rigid arms, one on each side of said sprocket wheel,means for elastically pressing said arms toward the sprocket wheel, anda base with which said arms are associated, said base adjustable withrelation to said sprocket wheel.

7. The combination with a sprocket wheel of an engaging device thereforcomprising two arms, one on each side of said sprocket wheel, means forelastically pressing said arms toward the sprocket wheel, a base withwhich said arms are associated, and means independent of said sprocketwheel for limiting the movement of said arms in either direction withrelation to said base.

8. A rack rail locomotive system comprising a plurality of rack rails, aplurality oil power units each provided with a sprocket wheel, saidsprocket wheels arranged so that some engage one rack rail and someanother', an engaging device associated with each sprocket wheelcomprising two arms, one on each side of the sprocket wheel, means forelastically forcing said arms toward the sprocket wheel, a base withwhich said arms are connected, and means for moving said base so as toshift the position of said arms.

9. A rack rail system comprising a plurality ot' rack rails, a powerdevice engaging said rack rails, and means for distributing` betweensaid rack rails the pressure developed by the power device.

l0. A rack rail system comprising a plurality of rack rails, a pluralityof independent power devices engaging said rack rails, and means fordistributing between said rack rails the pressure developed by the powerdevice.

ll. In a rack rail system, a plurality of rack rails at a point therein,and a single rack rail at another point in the system, a plurality ofpower devices adapted to engage both the single and the plural rackrails.

12. In a rack rail system, a plurality of rack rails at a point thereinand a single rack rail at another point in the system, power devicesadapted to move along said rack rails, sprocket wheels associated withsaid power devices and adapted to engage the rack rails, a centralizingguiding mechanism for the sprocket wheels, and means for actuating saidmechanism for the purpose oi' directing the engagement of the sprocketwheels with one or the other of the rack rails.

13. The combination with a laterally movable sprocket wheel of a guidingmechanism for the sprocket wheel comprising a resilient member andcentralizing stops independent of said sprocket wheel which limit themovement of said mechanism both toward and away from said sprocketwheel.

CHARLES A, PRATT. lVitnesses:

DONALD M. CARTER, EDWARD T. WRAY.

